Switch mechanism



Sept. 28, 1943. F. MASON 2,330,439

SWITCH MECHANISM I Filed Jan. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1:- Ii 7 INSULATION HS EATIOIJ J 3 INVENTOIR:

07 WTTORNE YA' Sept. 28, 1943. F. MASON SWITCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 26, 1940 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 28, 1943 SWITCH MECHANISM Fred 'Mason, Covington, Ky., assignor to Nutone Chimes Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 26, 1940, Serial No. 315,858

1 Claim.

This invention relates to chime signals of the type adapted to be used in homes and ofiices. More particularly, the invention relates to a chime signal which is capable, when once energized, of sounding a plurality of notes in succession. The notes may be of the same tone or, if it is desired toprovide a melody of sound, of different tone.

Devices of this general type heretofore have been proposed in the art, but they have embodied motor driven rotary switches or like instrumentalities for controlling successive energization of the sounding units. Such controllers are very expensive and for that reason and others, the chimes have, on the whole, been much too costly to meet the publics demand.

The objective of the present invention has been to provide a very simple and inexpensive mechanism which is capable of accomplishing the desired purpose, and sufiiciently rugged that it does not become out of adjustment during extended periods of usage. More specifically, an objective of the invention has been to provide an apparatus which is capable of sounding a succession of signals automatically in response to the depression of a push button switch.

It is intended that the control apparatus be of sufficiently compact size so as to be mounted upon a panel, or within a suitable dust cover, along with the signal sounding mechanism.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a simple apparatus for controlling the energization of 'a single chime repeatedly, or of controlling the energization of a plurality of sounding units successively or simultaneously,

so that single notes, chord effects, or melodies may be provided.

A further object of the invention has been to provide a chime unit comprising a plurality of chimes and a housing for supporting the chimes and containing the controller elements, all in compact relationship with one another.

Briefly, the apparatus of the invention comprises a plurality of contacts which are in respective connection with a single electrically operated sounding or Signalling unit or a plurality of them. A contact making member is provided for traversing these contacts serially, so that current can pass through them when they are contacted. In the preferred structure, the traversing member is in the form of a swinging arm.

A clockwork escapement mechanism is employed to control the rate of movement of the traversing member or contactor over the contacts whereby the periodicity of signalling is controlled. For retracting the member after it and the sounding instrumentalities.

has traversed the contacts, an electrically operated return unit is provided, for instance, a solenoid. Thus, the contact making member is urged across the contacts in one direction either by a spring or by gravity under the control of the clockwork mechanism, and returned electrically across the contacts in the other direction.

The electrical retracting member, besides operating the traversing arm, 'actuates a switch for efi'ectingits own deenergization during the period that the arm is traversing the contacts for energization of the sounding units. In the preferred structure, this switch is controlled through a lost motionlink actuated in'conjunction with the contactor, the switch arm being free to move within the range of the contact without actuating the link, but operating it so as to control the switch when the traversing arm has completed its course of travel. "Through this latter construction, the restoring device is prevented from interfering with the movement of the contactor arm once it has started to traverse the signal contacts.

The 'next feature of the invention is directed to the construction and assembly of the controller The controller and contact elements are mounted upon an insulating panel provided with facilities for making the necessary electrical connections. This panel is spaced from and secured to the back wall or base of a housing for the signal elements. A cover is hinged to this base so that it is free to be. swung therefrom. Electro-magnetic strikers are mounted on the cover so that, when the cover is swung open, the striker units are carried with it. The plungers of the solenoids operate through appropriate apertures in the cover and, externally thereof, the chimes to be struck by the plungers are supported.

From the practical point of view, this arrangement presents several important advantages, the primary one of which is the ease of assembly of the apparatus. The cover, striker, and sound supporting members may be assembled separately from the controller mechanism and the two then hinged togetherit being necessary only to connect the solenoids with the appropriate terminals provided upon the base plate. The savings in cost of manufacture provided through this arrangement are appreciable.

Other features of the apparatus and further advantages of it are disclosed in the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. From the foregoing principles of the invention which have been disclosed and the following detailed description,

invention i susceptible.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a face view of the apparatus shown partly in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line 2- 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. (The clockwork mechanism behind the retraction unit is not shown in this figure.)

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation illustrating the switch for control of the retraction device.

Figure 5 is a front elevation showing the signalling units.

Figure 6 is a side elevation with the cover partly swung forward to illustrate the relationship of the cover to the control mechanism.

Figure '7 is a sectional View taken on line 'li of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a diagram of a typical electrical circuit for the apparatus.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the device is comprised of a base plate I which is adapted to be mounted upon a wall for support of the structme. A cove'ror housing, which is indicated generally at 2,.is comprised of top' and bottom walls, 3 and A respectively, sidewalls 5, and the front wall The base plate I is provided with ears 7 and the side walls likewise are provided with cooperating ears 8, with hinge pins 9 passing respectively through the pairs of ears so that the cover is hinged to the base plate and is free to be swung forwardly and downwardly from it. These parts thus constitute a housing within which the control and signal operating mechanism is located. An ornamentalcover arranged to conceal or decorate the sounding units and housing may be provided, if desirous.

A panel member ii] is attached throughthe supports it to the back panel I, and preferably is spaced slightly from the back panel to provide clearance space for wire'connections. Thispanel member In is constructed of insulating board or the like, and supports a plurality of contacts l2 and a plurality of terminals [3 (a; b, c,and d),

the latter being provided for convenience in making the necessary electrical connections. re spaced'apart from one The contacts l2 another and reside, in an are, adjacent slide conductor id. A brush i5 is positioned to engage the contacts l2, and a brush H5, in electrical connection with the brush i5, is adapted to slideacross the conductor 54 so that electrical connection is completed between each contact and the conductor It, as the brush i5 slides across each contact.

Brushes l5 and 16 are carried by a traversing arm H which is pivoted as at E8 to swing about a stationary pivot 19, whereby the brushes I5 and it are moved in a path to bridge the contacts I2 and the conductor M. i

The clockwork escapement mechanism comprises a train of gears 26, 21, 22, 23, and 24 which are in engagement with one another and an escapement wheel 25, which carries a pair of pins 26 for alternate engagement with the teeth of the gear 26. The gears of this train are journalled in the usual manner between plates 2'! and 28, one of the latter being supported from the panel [8.

A shaft 23, upon which the gear wheel 24 is mounted, carries a ratchet wheel 30. A pawl 3!, supported from the arm l1, engages the ratchet teeth of wheel 3! The arm H is shown in the position which it reaches after the brush l5 has traversed the contacts 12 when the arm is raised, the pawl passes the ratchet teeth of. the wheel 39, but when the arm is released, the pawl engages the ratchet teeth and exerts a rotating effect upon the train of gears. The escapement wheel 25 is operated in this manner to control the rate of rotation of the gears, or, in other words, to control the rate of movement of the arm [1.

In the apparatus which is disclosed in the drawings, the switch arm gravitates downwardly to move the brush l5 across the contacts [2. If the device is intended for operation in other positions than that shown, a spring may be employed to urge the arm in the desired direction.

For retracting the traversing member, after it has, completed a course of travel, a solenoid 32 is employed. This unit comp-rises a coil portion 33, a plunger 31!, and a link 3'5 pivotally interconnecting the plunger and the arm I 7. Upon energization of the solenoid, the plunger moves in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figure 4. The solenoid coil is supported within a clevis 35 and is mounted upon the panel l9.

Arm H. has a slotted opening elfor controlling a lost motion switch actuator 33. The actuator comprises a counter-turned portion 39 which is free to slide through slot 3i, and a cap dil'disposed beneath arm H to rest upon a cushion H. The cushion is supported from a bracket 42 mounted on the base plate i. The upper part of the switch actuator is journalled siidably through the clevis 36 which supports the solenoid 32 and comprises a shoulder portion r33. r

The actuator 38 operatesa switch for controlling the circuit to the solenoid and is comprised of a stationary contact i i (Figures 1 and 4) and a movable contact 35; the stationary contact at is supported from a bracket :36, while the movable contact 65 is carried upon a flexible knee i'i. Both brackets are mounted upon paneliii.

The brackets are so arranged that the contacts 44 and 16 nomally-are in engagement with one another, but the knee ll extends in'the path of travel of the shoulder 4-3 of the switch actuator 38, so that when'the shoulder engages the knee, it is moved as shown in Figure 4 to break the contact engagement.

Counterturned portion 33 and edges of slot 3 cooperating with it constitute a lost motion mechanism, the edges of the slot alternately engaging the shoulder at the one end of the counterturned portion 39, and the cap' at at the other end. Thus, as arm ll moves upwardly-upon retraction of the'solenoid plunger, the edges of slot 3? engage the shoulder of the counterturned portion 39 and-operate the-switch actuator so that the shoulder d3 breaks the engagement of contacts i l and 66 by the time the brush i5 has moved beyond the last of the contacts l2. Upon downward movement of switch arm ii, the edges of slot 37 engage cap it and urge the switch actuator 38 along with it, so that the shoulder is moved past the knee fill (to permit the con tacts to return into engagement) by the time the brush l5 has passed the last contact [2 at the other end of the row.

The signalling instrumentalities of the device, as shown in the drawings, comprise tubular chime members 59 and cooperating solenoid strikers it, though it will be understood that the invention is equally well adapted to use in. conjunction with chime bars and resonators for them, or other sounding units. The chime members are supported, through stringers 5|, upon pegs 52 which are attached to the forward walls 6 of the housing, as shown in Figure 3. The solenoids 50, however, are supported within the housing upon the bottom wall 4, with their forward faces abutting wall 6. The rear faces of the solenoids are supported by the front walls of U-shaped brackets 53.

The coils of the solenoids are wound about tubular cores 54, which extend forwardlyof the coils and through appropriate apertures in the panel 6 of the housing; the plungers of the solenoids 50 are, therefore, free to pass through the front panel and into striking engagement with their associated chimes 49.

Normally, the solenoid plungers are retracted rearwardly, abuttingcushions 56, which are 'supported upon the rear walls of brackets 53. The springs 51 surround the plungers and at the one end rest against the rear faces of the front walls of brackets 53, and at the other are held by rings 59 which are carried upon the plungers.

By virtue of the hinged construction of the housing, it may be swung forward freely so as to expose the clockwork escapement and contactor mechanism with the solenoids being swung downwardly and out of the way along with the cover. This arrangement makes for compactness of the structure and convenience in the assembly of it, as previously described.

As shown in Figure 8, a control rheostat 60 for adjusting the intensity of the current passing to the solenoid is provided upon the front wall 6 of the cover. The rheostat is comprised of a base 6|, a resistance 62 wound around the base (which is spaced as shown in Figure 6 from the front panel), and a sliding contact member 63 traversing a slot in a support arm 64.

A typical circuit for the chime is shown in Figure '7. Energy from a suitable transformer is supplied through the leads 65 and 66. These two leads are connected, respectively, to the terminals I3a and I3d. Leads 61 and 68 are taken from the lead 65 to the terminals I3b and I 3c respectively. The connectors 61 and 68 contain push buttons 69 and I corresponding to the usual wires taken from the front and back door push buttons of a home.

A lead II is taken from terminal I3d to one end of the control resistance 60, and one set of leads, from the windings of the solenoids 50, is connected. through lead 12, to the other end of the control resistance. Leads I3, I4, and 15 in.- terconnect the respective contacts I2 with the other terminals of the respective solenoid coils. From the terminal I3a, a lead 16 is taken to the slide contact I4. As the brushes I5 and I6 interconnect the contacts I2 with the slide I4, current may pass from the lead 65 through the lead 16, and the slide I4 through a given one of the contacts and its associated lead 13, 14, or I5 to the given one of the solenoids 50, and return, through the lead 12, the resistance, and the terminal I3d, to the lead 66.

From the terminal I3b, a lead 18 is taken to the stationary contact 44 of the retractor control switch. A terminal of the retractor solenoid 32 is connected through a lead 19 to the movable contact 45, and the other terminal of the solenoid is connected through a lead 80 to the slide 63 of the variable resistance.

For the purpose of differentiating between signals originating from the front door and back doors, the device is arranged so that, when the back door push button, for instance, the push button 10 is depressed, only a single signal will be sounded. For this purpose, the terminal I30 (in connection with the push button 10) is connected through a lead BI to a given one of the contacts I2, so that when the push button is depressed, a current flows from the lead 65 through vthe push button of the lead BI, and the given lead 14, to the solenoid, and from the solenoid through the lead I2, the resistance, to supply lead 66.

When the front door push button is depressed momentarily, a circuit to the retractor solenoid 32 is completed through the lead 18, the closed contacts 44 and 45, the retractor solenoid, the lead 60 and the terminal I3d which is in con-- nection with the supply line 66. The solenoid thereupon operates to move the switch arm I! rapidly across the contacts I2. As it does so, however, the arm I! lifts the switch actuator 38 which, in turn, engages the knee of the retractor control switch so as to break the contacts 44 and 45 and therefore deenergize the solenoid. Thereupon, arm I! is free to traverse the contacts I2, consecutively so that the solenoids 56, which are in respective connection with the various contacts I2 of the row, are operated serially.

If desirous, the slide contactor I4 and the cooperating brush I6 may be omitted, and the connection from lead I3a be taken to brush I5 through the escapement mechanism or through the arm I! of the device.

If desired, a single solenoid instead of a plurality may be energized through each of the contacts of the series. This arrangement is useful in instances where a succession of signals of a given tone are to be sounded.

Having described my invention I claim;

A switch mechanism for a signal comprising a plurality of contacts arranged in spaced relationship, an arm pivotally mounted and having a portion thereof arranged to engage said contacts consecutively, a clockwork escapement mechanism including a ratchet wheel operatively associated therewith, a pawl carried by said arm for engaging said ratchet wheel, whereby movement of the arm in one direction is controlled by the escapement mechanism through engagement of the pawl with said ratchet wheel, with said a'rm being free to move in the opposite direction independently of the escapement mechanism, a solenoid for moving the arm across the contacts in that direction in which the arm is independent of the escapement mechanism, a switch comprising a movable element and a stationary element, one of which is in circuit connection with said solenoid, a link member having abutments thereon positioned to be engaged respectively by said arm as it approaches the terminal contacts at each end of the series of contacts, the said link member in turn arranged to actuate said movable switch element, the said switch normally being closed when the arm has traversed the series of contacts under control of the escapement mechanism, and the said switch being opened by movement of the said link when the arm is at the opposite end of said contact.

FRED MASON. 

